Anderson, Michael Alan: St. Anne in Renaissance Music: Devotion and Politics. Cambridge University Press, 2014. First edition. Large 8vo., pp. xvii, 345. Illustrations, Tables and musical Examples to text. Hardback. Contents and binding mint. Dust-jacket, fine. Ref: 53254
Angela, Alberto: (Gregor, Katherine, trans.:) Cleopatra: The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity. New York: Harpervia, 2021. First edition in English. 8vo., pp. xvi?, 382? + plates. Maps and illustrations. Hardback: black cloth, gilt-lettered to spine. Dust-jacket. Unused, small remainder mark to edge and a hint only of shelf-dust, otherwise a fine copy. Originally published in Italy in 2018 as Cleopatra: La Regina che sfido Roma e conquisto l'eternita. Ref: 54506
Angelov, Dimiter G.: Church and Society in Late Byzantium. Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, 2009. 8vo., pp. 256. Paperback. New: unopened in publisher's shrink-wrap. In the series,"Studies in Medieval Culture". Ref: 53388
Anon. [Lowndes, William:] A Report Containing an Essay for the Amendment of the Silver Coins. London: printed by Charles Bill, and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb, deceas'd; Printers to the King 1695. First edition. 8vo., pp. 159, [i]. Woodcut initials. Slight dampstain along bottom margin occasionally affecting (though not obscuring) text, title-page a little grubby but otherwise only occasional light spots and smudges. Modern tan half calf, red morocco gilt title label to spine, marbled boards, endpapers renewed. A very good copy in a sound modern binding. The Essay is divided into five distinct points: 'First, Concerning the Standard of the Gold and Silver Coins, and the Establishment of a Just and Reasonable Foot for the Course of the same'; 'Second, Concerning the Present State and Condition of the Gold and Silver Coins'; 'Third, Whether it be or be not Absolutely necessary at this Time to Re-establish the same'; 'Fourth, The Proposing of Means that must be Obtained, and the Proper Methods to be used in and for the Amendment of the Silver Moneys'; 'Fifth, To Consider what must Supply the Commerce, Pay Taxes &c. Whilst the Clipt Money is under its New Fabrication.' (pp.11-13) Lowndes (1652-1724) took office as secretary of the Treasury on 24th April 1695 in the midst of a worsening coinage crisis which the government was already making efforts to resolve. 'The practice of 'clipping' hammered silver coin had reached the point where it was seriously affecting the Treasury's ability to pay its way in the war with France, and in late 1694 confidence in the silver coinage weakened dramatically. A complete reminting of the coinage was now imperative, but the problem facing a House of Commons committee early in 1695 was whether there should be a temporary devaluation in order to stabilize the currency while the old money was reminted, a primary concern being to offset the inevitable loss in the value of tax receipts.' (ODNB) As Lowndes and the philosopher John Locke published opposing views on the subject (Lowndes in favour of devaluation and Locke against) the episode came to be referred to by historians as 'the Locke-Lowndes controversy'. However more recent studies have suggested that the views published here under Lowndes name on behalf of the Treasury were not actually his own. 'In a written report to the Treasury board in January 1695 Lowndes actually ruled out any suggestion of devaluation. While modestly conceding a limited grasp of the complexities behind the issue, he envisaged an immediate loss of some ?150,000 in revenue, which would have to be met by a 'public tax', and a worrying increase in the cost of England's military payments abroad.' (Ibid). The Treasury board asked Lowndes to produce a detailed recoinage scheme but, 'since majority opinion on the board favoured devaluation it would appear that Lowndes was instructed to follow the scheme already proposed by the Commons. By mid-September his 'book', A Report Containing an Essay for the Amendment of the Silver Coins, was in Treasury hands. It embodied the Commons committee's resolutions and was fleshed out with much historical detail, but owing to the rapid increase in the market price of silver a devaluation rate of 20 per cent would now be necessary. William III and his ministers acknowledged Lowndes's ingenuity and scholarship but, disagreeing with the Treasury board, saw greater virtue in Locke's arguments for a recoinage at the old standard. Thus it was largely to assist the ministry's own scheme for recoinage in parliament that Lowndes's Report was subsequently published in November 1695, followed by Locke's Further Considerations Concerning Raising the Value of Money. While paying tribute to Lowndes's erudition, Locke was quick to point out that some of his arguments tended in fact to condemn devaluation of any kind. Moreover, the encouragement which Lowndes gave to Locke and other critics to publish their rebuttals of his Report would likewise suggest that Lowndes had never personally favoured devaluation. In January 1696 an act was passed for a recoinage at the existing standard.' (Ibid.) ESTC R39081; Wing (2nd ed.) L3323 Ref: 52379show full image..
Antoninus Augustus: (Gale, Thomas, ed.:) Antonini iter Britanniarum commentariis illustratum Thom? Gale, S. T. P. nuper Decani Ebor. opus posthumum revisit, auxit, edidit R. G. Accessit anonymi Ravennatis Britanni? chorographia, Cum Autographo Regis Galliae Mso. & codice Vaticano collata; Adjiciuntur conjecturae plur Londini: impensis M. Atkins in Coemeterio D. Pauli, 1709. 4to., pp. [ii], x, viii, 151, [xvii] + folding map + 2 further plates. Many illustrations in the text, errata and Atkin's catalogue at rear. Some odd leaves (eg. I3) a bit toned, old repair to title-page possibly where a name has been cut out, closed tear to map repaired with dots of glue. Contemporary dark brown speckled calf blind-tooled boards, recently rebacked with red label and a monogram (possibly FAB) at tail of spine, edges sprinkled red, hinges repaired. A few small scuffs, small patch repair to leather near bottom edge, corners repaired, endpapers a bit foxed, still very good. Armorial bookplate with the motto 'Manners Maketh Man' to front paste-down. 'M. Clarke, Stockton' inked in an old hand, and a pencilled signature with the surname Bennet, both to ffep. The British section of The Antonine Itinerary, with commentary by Thomas Gale. ESTC T90299; Lowndes 54. Ref: 54408show full image..
Appian: (Davies, John, trans.:) The History of Appian of Alexandria, in two parts. The first consisting of the Punick, Syrian, Parthian, Mithridatick, Illyrian, Spanish, and Hannibalick Wars. The Second containing five books of the Civil Wars of Rome... The third edition. London: Printed for John Amery at the Peacock, [...], 1679 Folio, 2 parts in 1, pp. [xiv], 251, [i], 273, [ii]. Title in red and black, woodcut initials and ornaments. First and last four leaves a bit browned and dampstained at margins, title frayed at fore-edge, light age browning throughout, occasional slight marginal foxing, 2B2-3 soiled, long clean tear from fore-edge of 4h2 extending along blank margin. Contemporary full calf, single blind ruled, rebacked with original spine onlaid, scattered loss to covers from binding acid. Modern bookplate of Fox Pointe Collection to front pastedown. The first edition of the second English translation of Appian of Alexandria's important 'Historia Romana'. Written in the 2nd century AD, it spans the origins of Rome to the end of the Republic, with a detailed account of the Civil Wars, which here constitutes the second part. This translation, originally attributed to John Dryden, was produced by John Davies (1627-93) of Kidwelly. After studying at Oxford and Cambridge, and spending some time in France, he was employed by London booksellers as a translator from Latin and French. This copy was in the Fox Pointe Manor Library, a rich collection of 17th-century English imprints gathered by Dr Howard Knohl. ESTC R13368; Hoffmann I, 280. Ref: 53761show full image..
Apuleius, Lucius (Price, John, ed.:) Metamorphoseos Libri XI cum Annotationibus Uberioribus [...] Goudae [Gouda]: Typis Gulieli vander Hoeve, 1650. 2 parts in 1. 8vo., pp. [vi], 262, [ii], 758, [lxvi] + portait plate. Additional engraved title-page included in pagination. Latin text, with references and quotations in Greek. With index and final corrigenda leaf. Device to title-page, woodcut initials. A few very tiny marginal annotations. Slightly toned, ink spotting to some pages sometimes affecting a few letters, paper flaw to bottom margin leaf O2 (2nd part). Contemporary vellum, three black labels letters in gilt to spine, edges slightly overlapped, all edges red. Vellum quite yellowed, some darker staining to spine and rear board but sound. Price's variorum edition, described by Dibdin alongside the Leiden edition of 1614 as follows: "These are valuable editions and sell high: especially the latter [i.e. this 1650 edition]. They contain the excellent observations of Is. Casaubon, 'In Apologiam' [first published 1594] (whose remarks on the Editio princeps of Apuleius are not perhaps generally known,) the various readings of J. Pyrrhus, and the annotations of Beroaldus and Gruter. The latter edition, which is now an exceedingly scarce volume, contains, in addition to the foregoing matter, the annotations of Pricaeus 'in Apologiam,' and the edition usually goes by the name of the latter [?]." Dibdin I, 285; Graesse I, 171; Schweiger 2 pt. 1, 11. Ref: 54376show full image..
Aquinas, Thomas, Saint: (Nicolai, Jean; Drioux, Claude Joseph; Billuart, Charles Ren?; Sylvius, Franciscus, eds.:) Summa Theologica Diligenter Emendata Nicolai, Sylvii, Billuart Et C.J. Drioux Notis Ornata. Parisiis [Paris]: Apud Bloud et Barral, [1890]. 16th edition. 8 vols. 8vo., pp. [vi], xviii, 578; [iv], 635, [i]; [iv], 608; [iv], 660; [iv], 659, [i]; [iv], xxvi, 639, [i]; [iv], 735, [i]; [iv], 180, cccclxxviii. Vignette of St Thomas Aquinas and his books to each title. Occasional MS lines, dashed to margins etc. Toned, vol.8 creased at fore-edge pp.81-100. Half vellum, two red morocco labels to each spine (title and small 'Parisiis' label at tail), red cloth boards, all edges red, marbled endpapers. Spines a little darkened, some labels chipped, '230' in modern ink to each vol., occasional marks to boards. Vols.3-5 with some watery staining to boards, the cloth lifting a little on vol.4. Still a very good set. Tiny Blackwell's label to front pastedown vol. I; ink stamp to plain endpaper of each vol. Maynard Smith and Outram Smith Library; MS inscription of Maynard Smith dated Dec. 27th '97 to plain endpaper vols. 1-4 and 7-8. Nocolai (b.1594), a French Dominican theologian, joined the Dominican Order at sixteen, and spent the the majority of his life studying the works of Thomas Aquinas. Ref: 54427show full image..
Aristophanes: (Dindorf, Wilhelm, ed.:) Comoediae. Accedunt Perditarum Fabularum Fragmenta. Tomus IV. Scholia Graeca ex Codicibus Aucta et Emendata. Oxonii [Oxford]: e Typographeo Academico, 1838. 3 vols. 8vo., pp. 582; 543, [I]; 496, 40. Text in Greek, notes in Greek and Latin. A few MS annotations. Red cloth, printed paper labels to spines, some edges uncut. Spines sunned and labels a bit chipped, top edges dusty, otherwise very good. Ownership inscription of H.W. Moule dated 1915 to each ffep verso. All three parts of Volume IV (only) of Dindorf's monumental edition of Aristophanes, complete in presenting the Greek Scholia. Ref: 54190show full image..
Armstrong, Elizabeth: Ronsard and the Age of Gold. Cambridge at the University Press, 1968. First edition. 8vo., pp. xiv, 213 + plates. Hardback: light brown cloth with spine gilt-titled on dark green label. Top edge green, a little dusting to each edge. Dust-jacket, price-clipped, a few words of flap-blurb made faint by removal of price-sticker, light creasing to edges. Still, a very good copy. Ref: 53568
